VIDEO: Horses And Live Export from the UK

“Firstly I must apologise for the lack of posts… I’ve been in a lot of pain….but hope to get posting more news stories again soon; so please bear with me!” (MY sincere apologies if some post are a bit disjointed…drugs play havoc with my brain!!) so I hope all myposts will make sense…if the don’t…you know why!!”

“Please email DEFRA now, and tell Lord De Mauley that laws which are not enforced are not worth the paper on which they’re printed (Email already written) just fill in your details to send:-http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Live-Export-from-the-UK Please also contact your MP (Letter already done) which will pop up after your email to Defra!

On 10th February the BBC’s Inside Out programme revealed the shocking results of World Horse Welfare’s largest ongoing investigation, uncovering evidence that horses and ponies are being exported through Britain’s ports to uncertain fates on the Continent.

Keeping tabs on Live Export of Horses

It will show that an unknown number of horses and ponies are leaving Britain’s shores under the pretence that they are for leisure or sport – but may in fact be sold for slaughter.

We have been investigating the movement of horses into and out of the UK, including reports of possible export for slaughter, for several years and have always passed any information that we have onto the proper authorities at the earliest opportunity.

Unfortunately it has become clear that in many cases, proper preventative action from the authorities and enforcement of the law was simply not taking place despite the information that we were providing, and that horses and ponies were being left very vulnerable to abuse as a result.

Our investigations have found that horses and ponies are leaving our ports without any checks on their welfare or their paperwork. It is impossible to know whether the laws protecting them are being complied with. 

Horses waiting for death!

These movements are not small or insignificant: over just one weekend of monitoring we saw more than 90 horse boxes – a number of which could carry more than 20 equines – leaving and entering the port of Dover.

World Horse Welfare is calling for the legislation meant to protect our most vulnerable horses and ponies from indiscriminate export to be properly enforced as a matter of urgency. We want to help the enforcement agencies to protect horses and ponies, by continuing to provide intelligence and expertise as we have done in the past.

PLEASE WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO TO UNDERSTAND HOW HORSES ARE BEING TRANSPORTED.!!

P&O Ferries actually stopped a vehicle carrying horse; after checking the vehicle P&O said the horses were not fit to travel….KUDOS to P&O…without whom the horses could have shipped to slaughter!!

Post from P&O Ferries:Service with a conscience

Can we ship livestock on your vessels?
Yes, we can ship livestock on our Dover-Calais and Irish Sea routes, however animal welfare is an issue that concerns us. Hence on our Dover-Calais route we are only prepared to ship breeding livestock and only if booked via the relevant national associations. These livestock must be transported according to DEFRA requirements and accompanied by the correct DEFRA documentation, clearly showing the animals are being shipped for breeding purposes. A surcharge is applied to livestock movements and they will only be shipped on the European Seaway. Please contact the relevant national association for pricing details.

Can we ship horses on your vessels?
Yes, we can ship horses on all our routes (except Dublin – Liverpool, shipments from Tilbury and freight only shipments from Zeebrugge) under the following conditions.

Horses travelling to France MUST be accompanied by either an Export Licence or an AHA certificate AND an equine passport.  Ponies must also be accompanied by a fitness to travel certificate or Health Certificate.  Horses and ponies travelling with a final destination to countries other than France MUST in addition be accompanied by a Health Certificate. 

Horses or ponies travelling from France to the UK may travel on their equine passports only.  Horses or ponies starting their journey in any country other than France MUST be accompanied in addition by a Health Certificate.

Health Certificates are ONLY valid for 10 days from the date of vets signature (and can only be signed within 48 hrs of departure).  Horses and ponies may return to the originating country on the same health certificate providing it is within 10 days of the vets signature. (day 1 being the day it was signed)

The information detailed above is for guidance only – The responsibility lies with the owner or agent to comply with British and European statutory regulations.

Further information can be obtained by contacting DEFRA.

Find out more by reading our FAQs (Some of which are below), or take action to help these horses today. Or you can make a donation to help keep our teams on the road.

Please email DEFRA now, and tell Lord De Mauley that laws which are not enforced are not worth the paper on which they’re printed….email link here:-http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Live-Export-from-the-UK

Email & News Link:–http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Live-Export-from-the-UK

PLEASE WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO – It Is not graphic!!

Clamping down on UK’s illegal horse traders

Published on 11 Feb 2014

A year after the horsemeat scandal, Inside Out’s David Whiteley investigates the illegal export of live horses from the UK.

The World Horse Welfare charity told Inside Out that it suspects that horses and ponies are being transported freely across Europe as unscrupulous dealers exploit a legal loophole in equine transit.

Under an agreement between France, Ireland and the UK, sports horses can be moved freely but low-value ponies are not covered by the agreement.

David Whiteley joins the World Horse Welfare’s field team as they watch for horse dealers who they suspect are breaking the law. As well as concerns over equine welfare, there are fears the horses could be destined for slaughterhouses in Europe, raising fears about food safety and human health. But P&O Ferries refused some lorries due to unevaluated passports…i.e fakes passports!  P&O also refused some lorries because some of the horses were not fit to travel!  BUT IT SHOULDN’T BE UP TO PORTS TO REFUSE UNFIT HORSES….it’s obvious those trying to take the lorries abroad care nothing about the welfare of its cargo!!! Kudos to P& O Ferries!!

The government says it has agreed to tighten the rules on horse exports from May.

“I won’t believe anything until I see or read new legislation! The Government wonders why horse meat is getting into human food, it’s because the passports are not checked or are faked, horses are being stolen from fields during the night! Read some of the snippets below from News posts, it just doesn’t add up to me!” especially the parts where they say ‘ One of 5 horse slaughter plants’, which includes one  ‘Ashgrove Meats in Newcastle West’ that was responsible for contaminated horse meat! Then in another post it says ‘ THE only approved horse-slaughtering house in Northern Ireland has stopped killing horses, the Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has revealed.?????”

Preview of FAQ

Q. What can I do about this?

Please join our calls for proper enforcement! You can email your MPs and Defra Ministers quickly and easily here.

You can also help these horses by sharing any information that you have, anonymously and in complete confidence, via the ‘Tell Us’ pages of our website.

If you would like to make a donation to help keep our teams on the road, you can do so here.

Q. Is live export of horses legal? What are the laws?

A. In some circumstances it can be legal to export horses (for example for breeding or competition). However there is a package of protective legislation in place which should prevent the indiscriminate export of equines for slaughter. Unfortunately it seems that this legislation is not being properly enforced.
The legislation in question includes:

• The Welfare of Animals in Transport Order: Sets out the conditions for transporting animals, including rest periods, fitness for transport, vehicle standards and documentary requirements.

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006: (in Scotland, the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006) Sets out the basic principle that animals should not be allowed to suffer unnecessarily, either through human action or inaction.

• The Equine Identification Regulations: Set out the rules for horse passports.

• The Tripartite Agreement: Allows the free movement of some horses between France, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Recently changed – see below.

• The Animal Health Act 1981 (Minimum Values) Sets out the minimum value that certain types of equine should have if they are to be exported (see below).

Q. I thought exporting horses for slaughter had been banned years ago?

A. There is a package of legislation in place, including an Act which should have limited the export of equines to protect working horses, ponies, mules and donkeys from export for slaughter. This was brought in as a result of the work of our founder, Ada Cole, and has been improved over the years as a result of our subsequent work as a charity. However, it seems likely that a lack of effective enforcement has led to exports for slaughter taking place under the radar of enforcement agencies. We have gathered evidence and passed this on to the relevant authorities.

Q. What happens to the horses while they are being transported and after they leave the UK?

A. We can’t be sure of what will happen to these horses, but we strongly suspect that some of them will be slaughtered. Some of them are taken to markets where they will be sold for various purposes, including slaughter.  We also strongly believe that they will not be transported in good conditions, either when they leave the UK or on subsequent journeys after they arrive in Europe, and that their welfare will not be respected. The animals in question have a low financial value, making it uneconomic to export them unless corners are cut – which will compromise their welfare.

Q. What is the Tripartite Agreement (TPA) and does this affect these horses?

A. The Tripartite Agreement is a long-standing agreement between France, the UK and the Republic of Ireland to allow horses to move freely between these three countries without the need for animal health certification. This meant that horses could move over these borders without health checks, and without any traceability which posed significant welfare and disease risks. Originally applied only to Registered horses (such as a racehorses), it was extended in 2005 to apply to all horses, other than those moving directly to slaughter. We have been calling for it to be changed ever since, to prevent unscrupulous individuals from falsely declaring that they are moving horses for legitimate reasons then transporting the animals to slaughter abroad.

Happily our calls have recently been successful, and the Chief Veterinary Officers of France, Ireland and the UK have signed a new agreement which means that horses moving between France and the UK, and France and Ireland, will no longer be able to move freely unless they are ‘high-health horses’ – meaning registered FEI or race horses. Moreover these movements will be required to be logged, providing much-needed traceability.  Movement of horses between the UK and Ireland will be unaffected, as Ireland and the UK share the same official health status (determining which diseases are present and absent from a country), making a change impractical.

The details are yet to be decided, but we are very pleased that such a positive step has been taken to protect horses. The crucial thing now is that the details must be decided upon and these changes must be enforced when the revised agreement comes into force in May 2014. We will be working alongside Defra and the rest of the equine industry to finalize the details and to communicate the changes to horse owners.

Q. What does ‘Minimum Values’ mean and what does it mean for the export of horses and ponies?

A. By law horses and ponies must have a financial value above a certain amount in order for them to be exported overseas. This helps protect equines of a lower market value from being exported for slaughter, as the price for their meat should be less than the price of the horse or pony. However, with the lack of basic checks of welfare and documentation at ports, there is no way to know whether this law is actually being complied with.

Q. What about horses being imported into the UK?A. There are certainly equal, if not even greater reasons to be concerned about horses being imported into the UK. These horses may well have come from environments where serious diseases are present that we do not currently have in the UK. A lack of enforcement can make it difficult to trace where the horses came from, or where they went, if disease breaks out. In 2010, Britain had its first ever cases of equine infectious anaemia since 1976 when the disease was found in two horses that had been imported from mainland Europe. More cases were reported later the same year and in 2012, all in imported horses. Tracing the other horses that had travelled with the affected animals was a long and complex process.

Equally importantly, the welfare of imported horses may not be respected, with unfit horses being transported over long distances, and little or no enforcement to protect them. Any low-value animal may be vulnerable to this sort of abuse, whether it is entering the UK or leaving it.

The changes to the Tripartite Agreement should help with this issue to some extent, but only so long as they are enforced properly.Take action to help these horses today!

Link for FAQ;-http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/live-export-FAQs

Related Snippets Of Interest:-27/01/2013 Limerick Plant One OF Only 5 Licensed to Slaughter Horses For Meat

A NEWCASTLE West livestock factory is one of only five facilities in Ireland licensed to slaughter horses for meat, it has been confirmed.

The Ashgrove Meats facility in Churchtown has been slaughtering horses and exporting their meat for consumption in mainland Europe for the past three years. It is the only facility licensed to do so in Munster.

Ashgrove Meats is the only plant in Munster which slaughters horses for meat

Link:-http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/meat-from-horses-with-forged-passports-recalled-by-limerick-abattoir-1-4748132

Related Snippets Of Interest:-2/02/2013 Meat From Horses With Forged Passports Recalled By Limerick Abattoir

THE FOOD Safety Authority (FSA) has concluded an investigation after horses with forged passports were slaughtered for meat at a county Limerick abattoir.

It has been confirmed that meat from two Irish horses which had been exported to Italy had to be recalled after officials discovered that the animals had forged documentation.

The horses had been slaughtered at Ashgrove Meats in Newcastle West, one of only five facilities in Ireland licensed to kill horses for meat.

Under regulations, all horses slaughtered for meat in Ireland have to have a verifiable passport to ensure that they have not been in contact with substances which may be harmful to humans.

Link:-http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local-news/meat-from-horses-with-forged-passports-recalled-by-limerick-abattoir-1-4748132

Related Snippets Of Interest:- 14/04/2013 NI’s Only Horse Slaughtering House Stops

THE only approved horse-slaughtering house in Northern Ireland has stopped killing horses, the Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has revealed.

She explained that the Armagh plant asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to remove its authorisation and stopped killing horses at the end of January.

“There was one slaughter plant in County Armagh approved by the FSA for equine slaughter,” she explained.

“This establishment is also approved for the slaughter of cattle and sheep. It ceased slaughtering horses completely on 25th January 2013 and has asked the FSA to completely remove their authorisation to slaughter equines.”

She said this was the only establishment approved by the FSA to slaughter horses in Northern Ireland in recent times.

Link:-http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/business/business-news/ni-s-only-horse-slaughtering-house-stops-1-4974741

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Graphic Image: Outcry Over Dead Ponies on Bodmin Moor

“Please Note Graphic Image below, do not scroll down; viewer discretion advised. My apologies for this post being late…it won’t be the only one, sorry!!!”

“OMG…this is just heartbreaking; I can’t think straight for crying!! The POS who left these horse to die, need to be found & prosecuted; to the full extent of the law. The cold-hearted bxxxxxx’s should be thrown in a bare field, without food; until they beg for mercy…then beg a little more! Sorry but as a horse owner, I get very upset at these stories. The scum that did this are not fit to scrape sxxt off my shoes; let alone breathe the same air!! Please if you know who did this, or who the horses belonged to, I beg you to tell the police or WHW; you don’t want the death of horses on your conscience do you??”

“It should be made mandatory that all horses are chipped, irrelevant of age! Most responsible owners have their horses chipped, it’s not worth the worry not to! But there will always be the cob colts at sale rooms, from unscrupulous owners & breeders, there to make a few quid; that won’t be microchipped! So perhaps the sale rooms & livestock auctions, should refuse entry & report those who don’t have their horses chipped!”

” I have to agree with World Horse Welfare on the issue of hot branding; I think it’s cruel on horses, never mind cattle! Regards the ponies on Bodmin, perhaps it’s time the mares were given birth control drugs, although it won’t be easy trying to catch them; it’s better than having an excess of ponies who are going to die through lack of food etc”

“My horses are chipped, not just because of getting loose…their also chipped due to horse thief’s, who target certain horses to steal, especially rarer breeds like my Gelderland. There have been a lot of horses go missing, unless they are microchipped, they will probably never be returned to the rightful owner. Please see my note at the bottom about adopting horses, by way of a donation!”

The death of more than 20 ponies on Bodmin Moor last week has shocked local people and further highlighted the “equine crisis”, say welfare charities

The ponies were dumped on Eastmoor, Cornwall, and left to starve. In total more than 20 died, including eight that were put down by Defra vets.

A further 30 animals are currently being monitored by the Government.  But there is no clue as to whom the ponies belonged.

Though microchipping has been compulsory in foals since 2009, this is ignored by many owners.

World Horse Welfare field officer Jeff Herrington was there.

“The scene was horrific,” he said. “I was walking across the moors and there were bodies everywhere I looked.

“We have to sort this out. We have to find a way to link animals to their owners to hold them accountable.”

Julie Dowton of the Bodmin Commoners Association told H&H that pony dumping on Bodmin is a growing concern.

“We had a couple of incidents in previous years, but thought we’d got on top of it,” she said. “But with the tough economic climate, more ponies are being abandoned.”

Redwings took in 19 ponies after a similar incident on Bodmin in 2011.

“This is a shocking and disappointing regression,” Redwings’ Nic de Brauwere said. “But if we can’t identify owners, we can’t prosecute. We are in the midst of an equine crisis; horse identification needs improving drastically.”

There are more than 600 ponies on Bodmin and Ms Dowton added that local farmers are “distraught”.

“It has made us look further at the issue of visible marking,” she said. “We are even looking at hot branding such as in Dartmoor and Exmoor so ponies are easily identifiable.”

The Exmoor Pony Society agrees it is vital to identify semi-feral ponies visually.

“It helps us recognise ponies that have been ‘dumped’ on the moor and may not be able to survive in such an environment,” said a spokesman.

World Horse Welfare disagrees with hot branding but would like to see other methods used.

“Microchipping has to provide the solution, as it must be possible in the near future to be able to scan at a distance,” said chief executive Roly Owers. “In the meantime, alternatives such as the short-range reading of microchips and cutting manes and tails need to be relied upon.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (25 April 2013)

News Link:– http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/outcry-over-dead-ponies/#lrpJzJGkL8ullLFa.99 

“Redwings & World Horse Welfare do a fantastic job caring for homeless & abused horses, they are amongst my top charities. I have several virtual adopted horses & love receiving news on their progress, especially from Will the ex police horse. Please visit their home pages to see if you could adopt a horse. By donating this way, you actually see the horse that your money is helping & it feels great to be able to say “I have an adopted horse”!!!”

 Adopting a horse costs just £5.00 a month with WHW & is great way to help give a horse the second chance in life it deserves: –http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Home

The Redwings Adoption Club is the fun way to support our charity and make a new friend in the process! A year’s adoption of a Redwings horse, pony, donkey or mule costs just £12.50, which goes directly towards the daily care of your chosen equine and their friends. Choose from a Standard adoption pack or our brand new Online version. Please remember that whichever you choose, your kind donation will help us take care of our rescued residents and work to help more horses in trouble across the UK :-http://www.redwings.org.uk/

Faith The Pony – Our beautiful little three legged Amputee

 

“WOW… 2000 posts…I’ve finally achieved something that means a lot to me. Being disabled I find it hard to do anything where I feel like I have actually done something worthwhile or made a difference. All my achievements used to be with my horses etc. & animal welfare activities. I used to love going to horse sales & doing undercover work for local area managers from World Horse Welfare. I can’t do any of the things I used to do, pain rules & dictates my life.  So I’m going to pat my self on the back & say well done….I never thought I would manage 200… so yes, I am rather chuffed with my little self.”

 “So I wanted something special to mark the occasion, something that I love…yup horses…just check out this little cheeky chap. I also wanted to show this, to prove that in horse racing, when a horse falls & breaks a leg etc. they don’t have to be put down…there is no excuse to shoot them, when they can recover like Faith. There are many amputee horses with prosthetic legs, but then again, they have owners who love them as pets, not as money makers!! Enjoy!”

“And little Cookie, thrown out like trash…I will never understand how a human heart can be so cruel. Yet I am so happy places like this exist. Visit their website to see the marvellous work they do!”

Published on 21 Sep 2012 by EasyHorseSpain

Faith is doing very well and will be returning from the vets in Barcelona to the Rescue Centre this autumn 2012. With her new prosthetic leg, she will return to her soft grassed garden and her friends. 

We will continue to post updates on her facebook page (Faith the Pony) and you are more than welcome to come and visit her during the open days once she has returned, to see just how wonderfully she is doing.

For more information on Faith 
Subscribe to her facebook Faith the Pony

 

Published on 18 Sep 2012 by EasyHorseSpain

On Easter Saturday we received an emergency call for help after a pony was found abandoned to die on waste ground in Benijofar.
Spotted by a group of children, the pony was in a shocking state – half bald and covered in mud and faeces.
Our volunteers rushed to the scene with an officer from Benijofar police. When they arrived they found the pony lying on a pathway.
It looked as though she had simply lain down to die. She could not have survived much longer. If it had not been for the children who found her and the fast action of Benijofar Police and council calling us, we would have been dealing with a dead pony.

Or contact the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre

Visit our website http://www.easyhorsecare.net
Subscribe to our facebook Easy-Horse-Care-Rescue-Centre
Follow more stories on our you tube page Easy Horse Spain

Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre is a registered charity in Spain
Run by experienced and qualified volunteers working for the welfare of horses, ponies and donkeys.

Our Aims and Objectives
Rescue abandoned, neglected, abused or unwanted horses, ponies and donkeys
Provide rescued horses a safe haven and rehabilitate them through kindness and care
Work with authorities to improve the enforcement of animal mistreatment laws and help ensure cases of cruelty against horses are prosecuted
Promote respect and care of horses through education and example
Campaign for improved laws, regulations and practice to safeguard horses from abuse

Maybe you can’t change the world by saving one horse – but you can change the world for the horse you save

How Can You Help?
Sponsor a horse
Make a donation
Offer corporate sponsorship
Donate prizes for fundraising activities
Hold a car boot sale or a fundraising activity
Visit our charity shops in Quesada, San Luis or La Zenia
Volunteer you time

We find them starving, abused, scared and alone
And we give them back dignity freedom hope and love

 

Contraceptive injections start for Dartmoor pony herd

“Why can’t the BLM do this for the wild mustangs of the US. It would prevent the horses being kept in holding pens, splitting families up & stop those being sent for slaughter. Come on BLM, it’s your turn to think about the animals welfare & not $$$$$”

Dartmoor poniesare being given contraceptive injections in a bid to control the number of unwanted foals.

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association says the animals benefit the ecology of the moor

The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association said foals were not in demand in the current economic climate and the project could prevent young unsold ponies from being slaughtered.

It added that adult numbers needed to be maintained because their grazing benefited the local ecology.

Twenty animals will be injected and also microchipped to monitor them.

‘Cheaper than re-homing’

Work on the trial project, which was announced in October, started on Wednesday morning.

Vet Keith Meldrum said: “The purpose of the trial is to allow owners to keep their good adult breeding mares and bring them into foal later if they want to do so.”

Maureen Rolls, from South West Equine Protection, said that although the drugs would work, it could not be a large-scale solution.

Maureen Rolls, from South West Equine Protection, said the project was not a large-scale solution

She said: “We’re dealing with feral ponies, and while they may be able to round them up and inject them, the cost of the ponies does not warrant the costs of the injections.”

However, Charlotte Faulkner, founder of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association and one of the other vets involved, said controlling the numbers of unwanted foals would help animal welfare.

She said: “It’s less expensive than trying to re-home hundreds of foals.”

There are no drugs in the UK that will allow fertility control of horses.

The drugs have been donated by pharmaceuticals company Pfizer, and imported from Australia.

The government issued a special licence for the contraceptive to be imported into the UK.

If the trial is successful, organisers said it could be expanded to control the populations of other native horses and ponies in areas such as the New Forest, Exmoor and Bodmin.

News Link:-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-18171567

RSPCA in abandoned horses appeal

The RSPCA has launched an emergency appeal to find foster homes for a “never ending tide” of abandoned young horses. 

The charity said it was currently looking after nearly 600 horses and ponies which have suffered neglect and cruelty – a figure which has more than doubled since last year, with almost half of the animals involved being youngsters.

It has launched the “Stable Future” appeal to find fosterers able temporarily to look after some of the 270 animals which are too young to be ridden.

Sally Learoyd, the RSPCA’s equine rehoming officer, said: “Over the past year we’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of horses being disowned or allowed to get into an appalling state because the trade in horses has collapsed.”

She added: “I’ve heard of young horses being sold for £5 – less than the price of a bottle of wine. I’ve heard of horses being bought and sold in pubs and we’ve come across a case of someone keeping a horse on a tower block balcony and feeding it on kitchen scraps. We have a never-ending tide of young horses coming into our centres. Fostering our youngsters is a way that horse lovers can help us with this problem.”

The recession, rising hay costs and irresponsible breeding are thought to be to blame for the rising number of horses being neglected and abandoned.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We have found new homes for a record number of horses over the past year but we simply cannot keep up with the flood of animals which need our help because of terrible neglect and cruelty. We face a huge £3.2 million bill just to care for the influx of ponies and horses which does not include vet bills or prosecution costs. To help ease the crisis we are urging people to foster one of our youngsters until it is old enough to be prepared for work and we can find it a new home.”

Ms Learoyd added: “Fostering is a great way for people to have the enjoyment of being around youngsters whilst helping us out in the short-term. Just like teenagers, these young horses need experience of life, a day to day routine and a guiding hand. Being a fosterer is a really rewarding experience. You can see these youngsters’ personalities change and develop as they grow.”

The RSPCA has 594 horses and ponies in its care compared to about 290 in April last year – 266 are youngsters. It rehomed 240 horses last year – 50% more than the previous year.

The youngsters available for fostering are aged between one and three and all happy, healthy and handleable. They are microchipped, will have passports and tetanus vaccinations.

News Link:-http://news.uk.msn.com/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=161366078

“If you have a horse, or a few farm animals, a young horse would be great company for them & also give you lot’s of pleasure, one things for sure, a young colt or filly will keep you laughing!

 “There are many benefits of getting a young horse too,  it grows with you, your voice, your commands,  you teach it, you learn together for whatever discipline you have in mind.  You also know it’s not picked up bad vices, like you often get when going for an older horse, who has been passed from owner to owner!!” 

“Take a look at this video, it was taken several months after we rescued some gypsy horses from an auction & possible kill buyers. They had never known what it was like to be loved, never mind to run free,  so for them, it must have felt like they were flying ….I will never forget their excited whinny’s, it truly was awesome! It’s an amazing & proud feeling, to know that you have held out a helping hand, & given a loving home to any unwanted animal.  Turn your speakers up & listen to the sound of happy, healthy little colts, playing for the first time in their lives (sorry, excuse the phone ringing on the video…lol)”  

“If only to hear the whinny’s of excitement, I would do it all over again & again if my health wasn’t deteriorating so fast. So in light of that, I have already found My Bengie, the piebald (black/white) colt, a new forever home, with some friends, their little girl can’t wait to get him…It’s going to be hard for me to say goodbye, but I’ll still be able to see him & under the circumstances, I have no option.  I know he is gong to be very happy, which is my one & only concern.”